This is a Bible study.
Please look up the verses.
A time will come when God will lift up the poor, sad, and weak (Luke 6:20-23), and put down the rich, comfortable and strong. (Luke 6:24-26, and Luke 3:5)
Some people fight against this revolution all their lives. They are rich and powerful because they take more than they need from the poor. God will eventually put them down. Others have suffered due to the greed of the rich. They will be surprised when God blesses them forever by lifting them up. (Luke 16:25-26)
Turning things around like this is called a 'revolution'. Jesus did this by telling the poor the good news that God would provide their needs if they shared their possessions and their lives with one another instead of competing for things. (Luke 4:18, Luke 7:22) Of course this was bad news to the rich, who had no intention of sharing their wealth with the poor. (Luke 16:14)
The word 'repentance' and 'revolution' both mean 'turning around'. Jesus wants us to tell people to turn around. (Luke 24:47) So how do we do this? One revolution is to stop working for money and to start working for love. (Luke 5:10-11, Luke 5:27-28) But there are others.
When we start following the teachings of Jesus, our lives become one big revolution. We give up all that we have and are, and we become poor. We learn to be content with whatever God chooses to give us. (Luke 12:33, Luke 14:33)This step down from being rich to being poor, from honour to humility, and even from working to resting is contrary to the values of our society.
But it is the first step in a cycle. It is a downward/humbling/disciplining movement.
If life was all discipline and suffering, it would be easy to give up in despair; but we've found that when we do what we can to trust and serve God, he soon turns it all around. (Romans 8:28) We have a reason to live now, and healthier relationships with God and others. (Luke 9:23-24, Luke 17:33, Luke 18:29-30)
This is the upward movement (or blessing) of the cycle. (See illustration on the previous page.) This is why we often say that God's way up is down. Each time of testing is followed (sooner or later) by a time of blessing.
Of course, each time God blesses us, there is a temptation not to give him credit; and each time he humbles us, there is a temptation to rebel against him or to give up. But if we stay faithful, this up and down movement becomes like the movement of a wheel. As it revolves it makes progress, and with each new revolution that we survive, there will be new growth in each of us.
(See also Pride Smashing.)
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